


Got Me Praying, Man, This Hunger

by HeroSavesPeople



Category: The Flash (TV 2014), westallen
Genre: Brooding Barry, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love, Oblivious Barry, Oblivious Iris, Romance, WA AU, Westallen AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 21:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14680257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroSavesPeople/pseuds/HeroSavesPeople
Summary: Barry reflects about his relationship with Iris one night, mourning missed opportunities...until she seeks him out.





	Got Me Praying, Man, This Hunger

He takes a drag from his cigarette, closing his eyes as the smoke fills his lungs.  In the cool, chill of the night, Barry feels his senses heightened, desperately needing the nicotine to settle his nerves.  Anything to escape the sharp pain in his chest.  Anything that could scramble his brain enough to dampen the image of Iris walking into the party with her ex.

 

Iris West.  The woman he had been in love with for the last five years, since the day she walked into his business.  She had walked in with a determined stride, fire in her eyes and looking to bail her brother out of jail after one too many arrests for illegal racing.  She didn’t have much in collateral, but he knew as soon as he set his eyes on her he would do just about anything she asked.  He had liberated her brother out of jail by the end of the day and along the way gained a best friend.

 

Her tenacity and strength seeped into his world-weary soul and he was never the same since.  He had fallen fast and hard but had been too chicken to make a move.  And then it was too late when she met Eddie and things starting moving along in their relationship. 

 

But now it's been a year since she ended her engagement and it wasn't long before Iris announced she and Eddie were going to try to be friends.  And then that night happened.  He couldn't stop thinking about it ever since and so here he was, left alone with his thoughts once again.

 

He sits on the ledge of the roof, his legs dangling forlornly against the brick wall beneath him as he internally kicks himself for not brining a beer up with him.  How the hell was he supposed to make it through the night?

 

He supposed the only way was to escape the party just one floor below and wait it out here on the roof.   At least he had a beautiful view to accompany him.  At least he didn't have an audience to witness his brooding moment. 

 

Or so he thought.

 

So lost in his morose thoughts, he misses the sound of the roof door opening with a creak and the footsteps that followed.  He's taking another pull from the cigarette when a soft voice calls out. 

 

"I thought you got rid of that nasty habit."

 

Barry's heart jumps before racing against his ribs.  His heels stop kicking the brick wall as his body stiffens. 

 

"Can you come away from there?  It's freaking me out."

 

He sighs, thinking how overprotective she can be sometimes and how he can never deny her wishes.  He scoots back on the ledge before swinging his legs around to face her, keeping a precarious hold of his cigarette between two fingers.

 

He keeps his eyes downcast, knowing that if he were to set his sights on her then he would be a lost.  The day had already been a shitty one when his bail jumper caught him off guard and clocked him across the head, almost getting away.  Barry had recovered just in time to run after him and when he did finally catch him, he was sure to wrench his arms behind him a little harsher than necessary.  If he was rougher than he had to be, so sue him, the guy was lucky he wasn't being brought in unconscious after the stunt he pulled. 

 

After work he wanted nothing more than to sit in front of his tv with an ice pack and some mac n'cheese, but when he got a text from Cisco reminding him of the party at Oliver's, Barry huffed out a heavy sigh before getting ready.  Oliver was throwing a birthday party for Felicity and considering they were both good friends, he would have felt guilty for making up some excuse to avoid it.

 

But, it wasn't just the party Barry wasn't looking forward to.  Seeing Iris after what had happened two weeks prior, left him feeling a little queasy.  And seeing her walk in with Eddie threw salt on his old wounds.  He thought they had been broken up for ages now, but by the way Eddie reached for Iris's coat to take it off of her, it looked as though they had rekindled the flame.

 

He had been hoping avoid making eye contact let alone speaking to her but it seems as though the fates had other plans.  

 

Because now it was just the two of them up on this rooftop with no place to hide. 

 

He jumps onto the roof swiftly before flicking the cigarette onto the ground and pressing his toe into it.  He may have no qualms about tarring up his lungs but he sure wasn't going to let that happen to Iris.  Especially on his account. 

 

"Littering now?  Gee, Barry you've turned out to be quite the delinquent, huh?"

 

He wordlessly bends down to pick it up. 

 

"I didn't actually-I was just joking, Bar," she says.  He walks over to the side of the roof anyway and drops the butt into the dumpster below.  He turns and leans against the ledge but keeps his eyes on his fidgeting hands, and god does he feel like such a fool.

 

There's a long stretch of silence before Iris breaks the tense air.  "Barry, what is going on with you?"

 

He shrugs and shakes his head.  "Nothing," he mumbles, his voice raspy with lack of use. 

 

"Oh yeah?  Because you haven't looked at me all night and you're still doing it now even though there isn’t a sea of people for you to hide behind."  Her soft voice was now tinged with a hint of confusion and sadness and he hated himself for being the one to put it there. 

 

He clenches his fists nervously before peeking up at her from underneath his lashes. 

 

And there she was, looking as radiant and painfully beautiful as ever.  His breath catches in his throat as his eyes greedily drinks her in.  Up close and unblocked by moving bodies in between them, Barry is able to take her in completely.  Her smooth, soft skin is exposed in a maroon off-the shoulder crop top with a highwaisted pleated black skirt. 

 

He can't take his eyes off of her and he imagines his fingers tracing the shape of her bare shoulders before sliding across her sharp collar bones and making their way down her sternum.  He can almost feel his mouth water at the sight of her.  His hands itch to touch that strip of skin between her top and skirt, wanting to dig his fingers into her flesh, slipping them underneath the waistband of her skirt.

 

He gets lost in his fantasy for a moment right there in front of her when she breaks him out of it.  "Barry."

 

He looks away and turns his back to her, leaning on his hands against the ledge.  "That's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

 

"What?"

 

He let out a heavy breath, wishing he had his cigarette right then.  "You've barely looked at me since that night two weeks ago.  I'm surprised you're even up here."

 

"What are you talking about, Barry?"

 

Barry whirls around and waves her off.  "Don't-don't don't do that, Iris.  Ok, I'm not stupid.  I can understand if you don't want to be with me, but what I don't understand is why you're willing to kill five years of friendship over one single act?"

 

He looked at her wide eyes, like she had no idea what he was taking about. 

 

"We kissed, Iris, remember?  I know we were both a little buzzed that night and at first I thought that maybe you wouldn't remember it happening, but then I saw your face the next day and I knew you did.  And then…nothing.  You disappeared on me."

 

"I-I don't know…" she trails off weakly. 

 

He looks at her for a long moment, feeling his rapid pulse against his skin.  He looks way with a shake of his head when she refuses to meet his gaze. 

 

"You don't know what, Iris?"

 

She doesn't say anything before speaking softly, barely audible.  "I'm sorry, Barry.  And I'm sorry about that night too.  I don't know what came over me and I just…I didn’t want you to look at me differently."

 

"What are you talking about?  Why would I look at you differently?"

 

"Be-because of what I did!"

 

Barry looks around, baffled before settling his eyes back on her.  "You mean because you kissed me?"

 

" _Yes_ , Barry!  Yes!" She bursts out in frustration.  She heaves out a heavy breath and looks at him in astonishment.  "Why are you making me say it?"

 

Barry rubs his lips thoughtfully with his thumb as he watches her expression, not daring to believe the implication of her demeanor.  He's skeptical and hopeful all at once. "Iris, I need you to spell it out for me because I…I need to know.  Why did you kiss me?"

 

She looks at him in aguish.  "Don't make me say it."

 

"Why?"

 

"It'll change everything," she whispers, her eyes glassy. 

 

He takes a step toward her and she takes a step back, not looking at him.  His heart thumps rapidly in his chest as he cautiously takes another step and this time, she remains still. 

 

"Iris."

 

He inches closer and closer until he's a mere foot away from her and he can see the rise and fall of her chest, feel her breath warm his cold and exposed neck.  He looks into her worried eyes and lets out a shaky breath. 

 

"What if I want things to change?"  His voice is so soft that she feels his words more than hear them.  "What if that's what I've been waiting for the last five years?"

 

Her breath hitches before she slowly looks up at him.  She looks at him as though she can't believe what he's saying. 

 

"You have?"

 

He nods, gently bringing his hand up to cup her face.  Her eyes flutter close at his touch and he can't look away, transfixed by the way her long lashes cast a shadow on her cheek, by the shaky breath that escapes her slightly parted lips. 

 

She opens her eyes and looks at him for a long moment.  "I love you, Barry."  She breathes the words and they're a whisper that caresses him, soothing his aching heart.  "You're the sweetest guy with the most beautiful soul and I feel like such a fool for ever thinking I could ever fight this between us."

 

"You-you tried to—?" He could barely compute what she was saying.  The idea that Iris had been in love with him just as he was with her stunned him.

 

She nods.  He feels her hands tentatively rest against his waist, shyly moving up to his chest.  "I was so scared of losing you.  Barry, you mean everything to me.  You're the first person I want to see when I wake up, you’re the last thing—"

 

He couldn't wait for her to finish her words as he surges forward and catches her lips in his, stealing her breath as swiftly as she had stolen his heart.  But her bares it to her now, letting her keep it in her gentle hold as he kisses her.  He knows she'll keep it safe.

 

He pulls back just enough to breath against her wet lips.  "I love you, Iris West."  He presses another hard kiss to her lips.

 

She lets out a breathy giggle, full of joy. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

 

He shakes his head against her.  "Don't be.  Besides, I was dragging my feet too." 

 

"No more," she whispers against his skin, leaving soft kisses on his lips and jaw. 

 

"No more."

 

He pulls her tight against him, wrapping her up in the warmth of his body as he pulls either side of his coat around her small frame.  Standing under the night sky with Iris's arms wrapped around his back, Barry had never felt more content in his life. 

 

Feeling the softness of her body against him, the gentle strokes of her hand in his hair, Barry was uncertain what the future would hold. But for the first time in a long while, he was hopeful.  He was in the loving embrace of his best friend. 

**Author's Note:**

> A quick little one. Thanks for making it to the bottom! Hope you guys like it and would love to hear your thoughts. :)


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